Philippines' flagship tree-planting scheme falls short as forests disappear
A joint probe by 101 East and Lighthouse Reports finds that the Philippines' National Greening Program has largely missed its goals, with satellite images showing ongoing forest loss and Indigenous peoples fearing land loss.
In 2011 the Philippine government announced an ambitious National Greening Program that would compensate residents to replant and safeguard vast tracts of forest. A recent investigation by 101 East together with Lighthouse Reports shows that, after 15 years, the scheme has failed to achieve the majority of its objectives. Remote sensing data indicates that many forested zones continue to be logged instead of protected.
The report also highlights anxiety among Indigenous groups who say the program jeopardizes the territories essential to their way of life. The findings were compiled by a team of reporters, data investigators and producers, including Natashya Gutierrez and Lee Ali. The study calls into question the effectiveness of the country's flagship reforestation effort.
Why it matters
The failure of a major reforestation program threatens biodiversity, climate goals and Indigenous land rights in the Philippines.
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